Demon Children
by Wrathchylde
Summary: Naruto and Gaara are called for an S-rank mission that involves alliances with people like themselves.
1. The Mission

Demon Children

"Oi! Iruka-sensei! You came to treat me, right?" asked the young, boisterous teen sitting at his favorite ramen stand. "C'mon, c'mon! The shrimp special is really good today!"

"Settle down, Naruto. It's too early to have so much energy," complained the older chuunin, obviously returning from a late night. "And I'm not here for the food. Hokage-sama wants to see you about something; a mission I think."

That got Naruto's attention. It was quite possibly the only thing that could distract the boy from the potential ramenh feast before him. In a blur of orange, Naruto was off of his stool and running down the street, yelling happily, "Mission! Yeah!"

Iruka was left in the dust to shake his head and smile. So much for the dead last student that had left his class a few years ago. This one was well on his wahy to achieving his dreams and Iruka couldn't be more proud...

"Hey! Someone's gotta pay for the three bowls he ate already!" yelled the proprieter of the stand.

... or more annoyed.

It didn't take long for Naruto to reach Tsunade's office. As a matter of fact, the Hokage's two assistants were busy picking up the tattered remains of the paperwork Naruto had accidentally knocked from their hands as he blew by. Luckily for him, and the crew that would have to clean up the mess afterward, the Tsunade's door was already open when he reached the top of the steps. He barrelled through the open door and into her office, never losing the smile from his face. He didn't even notice the other two sitting in the office on either side of the door, "Hey Tsunade-ba-er, sama," he winced, remembering how many lumps his last slip up had caused him on behalf of the Hokage, "what did you need me for? Is it a mission? I hope it's a good mission. I haven't had a B rank since I got back."

Tsunade simply sighed and shook her head. It wasn't surprising to her that Naruto hadn't changed much. That attitude of his was as much a staplemark of the Uzumaki boy as the whiskers on his cheeks. "Sit down, Naruto and I will explain everything to you three."

"Three?" he asked, finally turning around to see who was ihn the office with him. Sitting, calmly as could be -if you didn't count the occasional twitch of his eye- was Gaara, returned to his garb of old and without his Kage robes. Next to him sat Naruto's goddess and his crush of many years, Haruno Sakura, looking distinctly embarrassed and avoiding looking at him. Uh oh, he must have done something stupid, though for the life of him, he couldn't figure it out. Finally, he sat in the chair between the two familiar faces and gave each of them a smile before turning his attention to Tsunade.

The Hokage began slowlhy, speaking in an almost bored tone that she always seemed to use when discussing anything political or diplomatic, "Fisrt of all, on behalf of Konoha, I must say that we greatly appreciate the aid of the Sand in this endeavour, allowing the Kazekage to join us."

Gaara nodded, showing his usual level of emotion, "We value greatly the alliance we have established with Konoha and wish to strengthen that bond."

"Good," Tsunade grinned, "Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business. I've called you all here because a rather unique mission has come up that requires your talents, especially those of you two, Naruto and Gaara."

The specific mention of his name caused Naruto to lean forward and give her his rapt attention. If she had singled him and Gaara out specifically, that could only mean one thing. He just hoped she wouldn't mention it in front of Sakura.

"As Gaara already knows, the head councils of the allied villages have finally begun to take notice of certain undesirable elements popping up in our countries. Now, they've left it to us to do something about it as usual. A special team is to be formed based on certain qualifications and using members from each of the four allied villages. Your mission is to travel to the two remaining villages and collect the last members of this team. Once that is done, this new team will receive orders directly from the village leaders as to their next movements."

The Hokage paused in the briefing suddenly and looked at Sakura, "Your role in this, Sakura is to aid Naruto with your medic abilities and fighting skills, as well as keeping him from doing anything horrendously stupid." This got an incredulous look from Naruto and a snort of laughter from both Sakura and Gaara. Now, I need to finish the briefing with these two alone. Please wait outside until I call for you again."

Looking confused, Sakura stood and gave the Hokage a polite bow before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

"Now, I'm sure you have figured out why you were selected for this mission by now, Naruto." At Naruto's nod, Tsunade continued, "There are others like you. There is a boy in the Stone and a set of twins in the Mist that are affiliated with demons. The particulars will be disclosed at their discretion as will yours. It's up to you how much or your story you share with them, though since they will be your teammates, it may be beneficial for you all to get to know eachother thoroughly."

Naruto folded his arms across his chest and looked at the floor as he spoke, a pose he seemed to have picked up from Jiraya, "I see. So we're to gather them up and form a new cell. That part I understand, but why involve Sakura. She doesn't know about Kyuubi and I'm not sure if I'm ready for her to know."

Holding up her hand to stem any more questions from the young man, Tsunade sat back behind her desk, "First of all, she is already a first class medic nin and will be invaluable to your team in battle. Secondly, each of the others hyou recruit will be given the option to bring someone else with them from their village. It's easier to adjust to a new team when you're not alone. And last of all," she spoke seriously, leaning forward and giving Naruto her famous glare, "it's time she knew, Naruto. She's your team mate. She needs to know who you really are if you two are to reach your full potential as a team. And before you say anything else, Naruto, this is not up for negotiation."

Naruto's retort died on his tongue and he sat back in his chair, "I just hope she's ready to learn that I contain the thing that nearly wiped out this village." It had been hard enough for the boy as he grew up. The whole village looked down on him, but he could handle that. What he couldn't handle was if his last remaining team mate ever looked at him that way.

"Give her some credit Naruto. She's a stronger person now and I highly doubt it will do anything more than surprise her," Tsunade sighed, changing the subject suddenly to avoid arguin with the stubborn boy. "You will leave in two days at dawn for Mist village as it is the closest one. In the meantime, prepare yourselves. You'll be given an advance on your payments to purchase any provisions you may need."

Slowly, Tsunde stood and stared at the two young men before her, "Because this concerns all of the villages and the maintenance of their relationships, this mission is classified as an S rank. Your pay will be given accordingly but more importantly, this will allow us to fight our enemies on a unified front. This is likely to be the most important mission of your lives. I wish you the best."


	2. Into the Light

Ch 2

Sakura looked up from where she sat in the waiting room when she heard the door open. As Naruto and Gaara emerged, she smiled and stood, "Time for me to come back in?"

"Nah. She told us to let you know so she could get some work done," he smirked, "which means she wants a nap." Naruto's thoughts were abruptly cut off when a particularly large book flew through the still open door and connected with his head.

"Close the door before you say stupid things like that!" yelled Tsunade from behind her desk. Thankfully, Gaara remedied the situation by closing the door and shaking his head.

Laughing embarrassedly, Naruto rubbed the rising lump, "Thanks, Gaara. I forgot how good her aim can be."

Gaara simply nodded, though even his lips seemed to struggle with a smile at Naruto's situation. "I'll see you both in two days," he said as he walked past them on his way to prepare.

Sakura turned to Naruto with a quizzical expression, "We leave in two days? Why so long? I thought' we'd leave in the morning like usual."

"She's giving us time to prepare and buy supplies." He fixed her with a serious look, though it was obvious that he was a bubbling vat of excitement beneath it, "Sakura-chan, it's an S-class mission."

Green eyes wide and mouth open, it took Sakura a good few minutes before she could even form a thought. Only Jounin were allowed on S-class missions. They were supposed to be the only ones allowed on A-class missions as well, though that never stopped team 7 before. "Are-are you serious! We're only Chuunin though. How can we be expected to complete an S-rank mission?"

Naruto waved a hand dismissively, "It's not really a dangerous mission or anything. She just said that it was so important it couldn't be anything less. All of the villages are involved in this so it actually has to do with keeping our alliances too."

Sakura nodded slowly, "I get it. I was wondering why Sand would risk sending Gaara out on a mission with only two Chuunin. I mean, we may be good but you see how Shizune is. She goes insane when Tsunade leaves her office without telling anyone."

Naruto listened to her talk without hearing a word. His mind was entirely focused on his upcoming talk with the kunoichi before him. There was no way she'd be understanding about it. Hell, she probably wouldn't even be his friend after this. How could Tsunade do this to him?

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled, right into his ear, causing him to jump back.

"Ouch! You didn't have to yell like that! "

"Apparently I did! I asked you three times where we're going and you just stared at the wall!"

"Eh heh," Naruto laughed nervously, his hand behind his head, "sorry Sakura-chan. I was just thinking about the mission. We're heading to Mist Village first."

"Mist eh? Guess I'd better bring some better shoes. These boots take on water way too fast." She grinned at Naruto after her moment of fashionable contemplation, "So all I have to do to get a straight answer is yelling at you eh?"

Naruto laughed and shook his head, not rising to the bait for once. He had to do as Tsunade said and he had to do it soon. It would help him prepare correctly if he knew whether or not he would have her with him. "Hey, Sakura-chan?" he asked timidly, "Would you meet me for dinner tonight? And, before you get the wrong idea, this isn't a date." He looked up to see genuine surprise on her face. Good. She knew he was serious. "I have something I want to talk to you about."

Sakura looked at Naruto in concern. He was never like this. Even just walking around in town with her was a date to him, so for him to make the distinction for a dinner was strange. "Oh. Okay Naruto. Why don't we go to Jasmine Café? They're supposed to be good."

Naruto nodded, "I'll meet you there around six. It's not fancy is it?"

Giggling, Sakura smirked at him, "Afraid to leave that orange jacket at home? No, it's really relaxed in there I think."

"Alright. I'm going to go train for a little bit. I'll see you then." Naruto gave her a slight smile as he walked past her and out of the hokage's building, hoping to get as much time to himself as he could so he could plan out how to tell her.

True to his word, Naruto was on the training grounds, though what he was doing could hardly be considered such. He lay in the grass, staring up at the sky much like Shikamaru would. During the Ero-Sennin's intense training, he had learned that Shikamaru knew what he was talking about. The clouds were so calming and always helped relax his tumultuous mind. Unfortunately they did not hold the answers he sought. Three hours later and he was no closer to knowing how to tell Sakura that he was a monster.

"Hey Sakura. You know the ninetails? He's in my stomach." That wouldn't work. That would have her laughing at him at best. No matter which way he looked at it, there was no tactful way to tell her. He would just have to come out with it. He'd faced down Gaara with only his own power at first, so this shouldn't be so scary, should it? Then again, he hadn't had to worry about what Gaara would say later. Sakura's opinion mattered to him. Hell, it was almost everything to him.

"What should I do?" With only the wind to answer, Naruto continued his quiet contemplation until the clouds began to dress in their evening colors.

Jasmine Café was bustling with customers even as Sakura approached the large red doors. Maybe she should have chosen somewhere else. After all, if Naruto was serious about talking to her, he might be more reluctant with so many people around. That would be okay though. They could have dinner and just take a walk afterwards. Looking at her watch, Sakura was surprised to find that she was more than ten minutes early. Sure, she was looking forward to being treated to dinner but she hadn't realized she'd rushed so much after her shower. She chalked it up to the fact that she was worried about what he had to tell her. He had looked so forlorn when he asked her to meet him that she couldn't help but worry about her friend.

With a sigh, she realized that she would be sitting here worrying for quite a while. Naruto was never early to anything. In fact, he was often late, thinking it made for a more dramatic entrance. To her surprise, however, she spotted him walking towards the café with his head down and his hands buried in his pockets. Now, she was worried. Either what he had to say would be huge or he was dreading spending the evening with her. She doubted the latter.

"Hi, Naruto!" she smiled at him as he approached in hopes of relieving even a bit of whatever was bothering him.

"Oh. Hi." Apparently, her mission failed. "I guess you decided to get an early start too." He spoke in a distracted voice, not at all like himself which gave way to new concerns in Sakura's mind. Here they were two days before an S-rank mission and he was moping around like someone had killed his dog.

Sakura kept up her chipper attitude, hoping it would be infectious and Naruto would get out of this funk he was in. In an impetuous move, she took his hand and led him inside, "C'mon. I'm starving!"

The restaurant was nothing fancy, much to Naruto's relief. The last thing he needed was to embarrass himself tonight, even if it was inevitable. It was a really simple looking place. A bar sat along the wall to the left with the sort of patrons you'd expect to see drinking before six o'clock in the evening. Black tables and chairs dotted the white, tiled floor of the main room and the cream colored walls held a few pictures here and there. All in all, it was the type of place Naruto could see himself frequenting if he had someone to come with.

A young hostess led them to a small table near the far wall and handed them their menus before darting off to see to other customers. The two team mates sat in silence until one of them could stand it no longer.

"What's wrong Naruto? You haven't said a thing since we got in here and you haven't even touched your menu. Is what you have to say that bad?"

"Yeah," he said sullenly, "it is."

Reaching across the table, she again grabbed his hand, this time holding it lightly in what she hoped was a comforting manner, "We're friends Naruto. You can tell me anything."

Sighing, he brought his eyes to hers and opened his mouth to speak when their server finally arrived, "What do you…oh." The old man paused in his question and stared at Naruto with hate filled eyes, "You're not welcome here, boy. Get out."

Sakura closed her eyes and awaited the outburst that was sure to come from Naruto. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes to see Naruto sliding his chair out slowly and calmly, "Sorry. I'll leave. Have a nice dinner, Sakura-chan."

That was it for Sakura. Not only did he not retaliate, he looked like a dog with its tail between its legs. It was as if he knew he'd done something wrong. She couldn't stand it anymore. "What is going on?" she yelled, looking from Naruto to the pudgy, old server. "Why is he not welcome? And why, Naruto, aren't you putting up a fuss and punching this guy in the face?"

When Naruto refused to look at her, the old man spoke up, "To hell with the law. The children of this village should know that a monster walks among them!" He turned his hate filled eyes to Sakura and pointed back at Naruto, "That so-called boy is the Kyuubi that killed the fourth and nearly destroyed the village!"

This time, someone did punch the old man. Only, it wasn't Naruto's fist that sent the old man sprawling; it was Sakura's. "How can you say such things about someone you don't even know?" She stood over the man, giving him the death glare Naruto was so accustomed to.

Naruto rested his hand gently on Sakura's shoulder and turned her to look at him, "Sakura-chan. Don't." He stared into her green eyes for a moment, trying to keep the tears from his, "I didn't want you to find out this way."

"What do you mean, Naruto?" she asked, glancing between him and the man on the ground.

"I mean," he sighed, "he's not lying; at least not entirely. The Kyuubi is sealed inside me."

Sakura didn't know what to say to that. What could she possibly say to something like that? She just stood there staring blankly at him as she tried to digest that information.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I won't bother you anymore." Naruto said softly as he turned away. He looked absolutely broken, his usual façade of hyperactive innocence completely gone, though he wouldn't let anyone see him cry. He left the restaurant quietly and stepped out into the cold, unforgiving streets of the city.

Sakura looked around in confusion, the shock of Naruto's confession still keeping her from rational thought. Still, she could hear relieved whispers coming from the tables all around.

"Good riddance. You're lucky girl. You found out before he could get his filthy hands on you," said the old man from before, glaring at the doors as if Naruto would come back at any moment. Before he knew it, Sakura's fist connected with his jaw once more, this time sending him flying into the wall across the room.

Ignoring the shocked glances sent her way, Sakura ran out into the street to look for Naruto. She had no idea what she'd say when she saw him. All she knew was that she had to find him. Unfortunately, finding a shinobi that didn't want to be found was no easy task and it seemed Naruto didn't want to be found.


	3. Truth

CH 3

Sakura ran down the street, heedless of the annoyed glances being thrown her way. She didn't care that she'd accidently bumped a few people here and there. She needed to find Naruto. She needed to know what the hell was going on. It was a prank, right? How could someone like him house the spirit of one of the most terrifying beings ever created. He was always so happy, so carefree. There was no way someone like him held a demon inside. If someone had told her the same about Sasuke, she might have found it more believeable but this was Naruto. This was the boy who never failed to smile, even when he wanted to collapse; the very same boy that had a crush on her since she'd known him.

What a horrible way for his secret to be exposed. He had obviously wanted to tell her himself, in his own way, but that had been ruined by one ignorant old man. Now, she had to track down Naruto and find out the rest of the story. It didn't even occur to her to be afraid of him or angry at him. He was her friend and some demon couldn't suddenly change that. At least, not without attacking her but she knew Naruto would die before that happened.

She looked up, wondering when she'd left the confines of the city proper. Without noticing, she'd made her way to the river that bordered the training grounds. It was the very same place they'd met so often before missions during their days as team 7. It would certainly make sense to look here, but alas, he was nowhere to be seen. In all her haste to catch him, Sakura had forgotten one key ability; the ability to sense chakra. Unless she missed her guess, Naruto would be in no fit mind to remember to suppress his chakra.

Walking to the center of a small bridge, Sakura performed a few quick seals and concentrated, seeking Naruto's unique chakra signature. Almost immediately, a trail appeared in her mind's eye headed farther north towards the Hokage Monument. It was a spot she'd found him several times before, usually when he had something big on his mind. He always said that the stone faces inspired him when he was up there; something about his dream becoming clearer when surrounded by those who shared it with him. If he wasn't there, she was out of ideas.

"Stupid old man," Naruto sighed, his legs dangling over the edge of the cliff, "Now Sakura hates me and I wasn't even the one who told her. Why'd she have to find out like that?" The sprawling streets of Konoha lay before him, bustling with people. "Does everyone down there hate me?" he wondered until he looked over at the cliff's newest addition. "No, I guess not."

He sighed again, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, "I guess I'll have to ask Tsunade-baba to find someone else to come along." There was always Neji. He had already witnessed Naruto's power first-hand so it would be easier to explain, but he was always away on missions now since he was a Jounin. Shikamaru would be a good candidate. He was so smart, he probably already figured it out for himself. Of course, he was a proctor for the Chuunin exams, so that left no time for a mission that could possibly take months. "Maybe she'll just let me and Gaara go alone."

"What, I'm not good enough to come on this mission?" asked a female voice from behind in mock hurt.

Naruto winced. Sakura's was the last voice he wanted to hear at the moment. She was probably here to yell at him or tell him that he was a monster or something like that. "Did you come to make fun of me, Sakura-chan? If so, say what you have to and go. I still have to get a new team mate."

Without warning, Naruto was hefted up by his collar and tossed through the air, landing back in the middle of the cliff's viewing area with a thud. When he regained his senses and looked up, it was to see Sakura looking positively livid. So she hated him so much she was going to try and kill him now. At least he wouldn't have to deal with her hatred. What she said, however, shocked him to the core.

"You-you idiot!" she screamed. "You really think I would do something so stupid as that? Is that all the credit you'll give me?" Storming up, she slapped him across the face, "Idiot! We're friends." He ire began to wan, replaced by tears, "Even if you have some sort of demon inside you, you're still the same person I've been working with since I was twelve. You're still one of my precious people, demon or no."

Her tirade was cut short when Naruto pulled her into a fierce hug. She knew she had shed some tears but the occasional hiccup from Naruto told her that he was crying harder than she'd ever seen any boy over the age of ten. She was surprised, to say the least. She'd never seen Naruto cry. He hadn't even cried openly when he found out that the Third had died. All she wanted to do now was hold him and take away his pain. He had always protected her, now it was her turn.

It had taken nearly ten minutes for Naruto to regain his composure and even now, he was still sniffling every so often. He and Sakura sat quietly on the bench, neither really knowing what to say. He had dropped his façade for her entirely and she had gratefully accepted him. He couldn't have been more relieved when she'd held him and let him cry, not to mention what she'd said before-hand.

Surprisingly, it was Naruto that broke the silence, "You know, I've never had anyone my own age know about the Kyuubi. Sandaime made a rule that no one could ever tell their children about it or me so I wouldn't have to put up with the same hatred from people my age." Looking down, he placed his hands on his stomach, "When Yondaime sealed this thing inside me, he wanted me to be seen as a savior, but it didn't work out that way, but I could always pretend it was ok, especially after I met you guys." He looked up into the sky with a wistful smile, "You know, if it wasn't for Iruka saving me from Mizuki I probably would have turned out like Gaara. Then it was you guys. You, Kakashi, Sasuke; you accepted me too. It made life bearable." He turned to face her, giving her a soft, heartfelt smile, "Now, having you know my secret and still sitting here with me," he shook his head in disbelief, "You can never know how much that means to me."

When she saw him smile at her like that, she couldn't suppress the blush that came to her cheeks. He was certainly cute when he looked like that. It wasn't his usual prankster smile, but one that showed how he really felt deep inside. It was the type of smile she wouldn't mind seeing directed her way more often. "I meant every word of it, Naruto. You're my friend and you always will be."

His smile widened and he nodded, "You too, Sakura-chan." In his mind, Naruto added that he hoped for more someday.

Looking at his watch, Naruto gaped, "Wow! It's so late! You'd better get home before your parents get worried."

Sakura looked at her own watch and nodded, "You're right." She stood and brushed the imaginary dirt from her dress before heading toward the steps, "We should get up early tomorrow and prepare for the mission. It'll take all day to buy what we need. I'll meet you tomorrow around ten on the bridge and we can get what we need, ok?"

Smiling broadly, Naruto nodded and waved after her, "Yeah. See you tomorrow, Sakura-chan. Sweet dreams!"


	4. Setting Off

Ch 4

"Man, I'd better fill up. Who knows when I'll get my next chance to eat here?" Naruto asked the two accompanying him. After shopping that morning, he had managed to convince Sakura to eat with him at Ichiraku's. Amazingly enough, their other companion was none other than Gaara who looked a little out of place at the small ramen stand. Then again, Gaara tended to look out of place wherever he went. They had found him wandering through an antique shop as they passed by and invited him along. Imagine their surprise when he accepted.

Sakura rolled here eyes for the umpteenth time that day. Gone was the serious man from last night, replaced by his usual, immature, boyish self. During their shopping trip, he'd done nothing but complain of hunger and exhaustion the entire time. The only time he showed interest in shopping was when he had seen a horrendously overpriced set of kunai in a supply shop. He had immediately attached himself to them like a weasel with something shiny, refusing to leave until she had threatened him with bodily harm. Although his antics annoyed her, she was happy to see him back to normal. She just couldn't handle a depressed Naruto.

One thing she had noticed when they were out was the stares Naruto got. She didn't know how she could have been so blind to them before. People stared at him with open disdain and hatred. The few that caught her eyes received a death glare of their own from the pink-haired girl and immediately shrank away. The whole scene reminded her of how a herd of gazelle would look at a lion that had already had its fill; contempt without fear of reprisal. Through all of it, Naruto was his normal, happy self. How he did it, she would never understand, but she was glad he could because his good mood was often infectious. Now, as they sat at Ichiraku, she was surprised at the contentment she felt around her friend. Even with Gaara nearby, she felt no apprehension just because Naruto was with her.

Finally, their orders came and each of them feasted eagerly with an "Itadakimasu!" Naruto ate with all the manners of an untamed wildebeest while Sakura ate with propriety befitting a lady. Both, however, nearly dropped their chopsticks when Gaara was the first finished and holding up his bowl for a second helping. Feeling their stares, he turned to look at them curiously, "What? It's good."

Naruto bid the shopkeeper goodbye as well as half of the contents of his wallet. In order for them to get Gaara there, he'd had to offer to pay for him as well as Sakura. He had almost shed a tear when he realized Gama-chan needed a meal soon. At least this mission they were on would pay well. The advance Tsunade had given them was no small amount and that was only a fraction of the pay. If he was right, the amount they would receive for this mission would keep him in Ramen for years to come.

With thoughts of the mission, they bid each other goodnight and made their way to their respective homes. They had decided on a dawn departure so an early night was imperative if they wanted to get going early enough. They would reach Mist village within a couple days and find their first set of companions. Now that Sakura knew Naruto's secret, she fully grasped the importance of their mission and was just as eager to be a part of the mission as Naruto himself. This was likely to be one of those great missions that became shinobi legend in the future. If they were successful, she would always be remembered as part of the great mission. She would just have to make sure history didn't overlook her in favor of the demons and their vessels.

For his part, Naruto was as excited as he had ever been. Not only was this an S-rank mission, it could very well gain them extremely powerful allies. As he opened the door to his empty apartment, he wondered what the others were like. Would they be nice? Would they be like him? As he lay down, he stared at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. At the very least, this mission would be entertaining.

Dawn seemed to come all too soon for the three shinobi as all three stood at the gates looking thoroughly exhausted. It was obvious that none of them had slept too well, though Gaara had a legitimate excuse with Shukaku bothering him every night when he slept. Naruto and Sakura had simply been too excited to sleep very well.

Naruto glanced at Sakura and smiled to himself. She knew and she was still there by his side. Of course, now that she knew, the rest of the mission's parameters became clear to her as well. Soon, they would be in the company of three more vessels and none of them had any idea what to expect. All they were supplied with was a list of names and the villages they resided in. It would have been nice of the Kage's to include something about their personalities on that list. Sure, Gaara had changed since his fight with Naruto, but that didn't mean there wasn't another demon like Shukaku lurking about, destroying another child's mind. Naruto sorely hoped that they wouldn't be recruiting a homicidal maniac.

"Naruto," asked Gaara, "despite the fact that you are the lowest ranking member of the team, I believe that you should lead."

Naruto ground his teeth at Garra's reminder of his rank but nodded anyway, "Yeah. Your sand defense is best in the rear and Sakura should be in the middle since she has better observational skills." At their nods, Naruto smiled, "This shouldn't take long. If we run hard, we'll make it in a day and a half. We'll rest just outside of the Wave Country's border and head on to mist after a few hours. Agreed?"

Again, his companions nodded and Naruto positively beamed. So what if he was only a genin. His team trusted him and that was all that mattered. Throwing his hand into the air, Naruto gave a shout, "Let's go!"

Green blurred past their vision quickly as the leapt from tree to tree in the same steady pace they'd set that morning. Despite Naruto's calculations, it was obvious that it would take longer than a day and a half to reach their destination. He must have been counting on his unbelievable level of stamina when he made that assumption, because by dusk, they were only half way there. He hardly seemed winded at all, but his pink-haired companion was slowly falling behind, closer to Gaara until he had to slow to match her pace.

For her part, Sakura wouldn't admit defeat. She had to show Naruto how much she'd improved so he wouldn't feel that he had to protect her as much. Granted, he knew how hard she could hit now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't treat her like the weak little girl he used to know. Thankfully, Gaara had seemed to notice all of this and called ahead to Naruto.

"Oi. Let's stop for tonight. There's no real hurry."

Pausing on a large branch, Naruto looked back over his shoulder, curiously, "Why? It's barely getting dark and we haven't even made it across the border."

Glaring, Gaara hopped forward, landing next to Naruto and leaned forward until the blond got the full force of the evil eyes, "You have any idea how much this gourd weighs?"

Laughing nervously, Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, "Heh. Yeah. Stopping sounds like a good idea." He looked around the area and sighed, "No point in worrying about tents or anything. We'll rest in the trees for tonight. Sakura, take first watch."

Sakura nodded and took to the task without complaint as Naruto knew she would. He was no idiot. He knew she was more tired than any of them and that was why he gave her the easiest shift. It was far easier to stay awake than it was to be woken up. Naruto would take the worst of it with the middle shift and leave Gaara the last shift. They would only be stopped for a few hours but that would be enough to see them through the rest of their journey to Mist Village.

To Naruto's surprise, Gaara remained standing next to him even as Sakura disappeared, presumably to set traps. "It's a liability keeping regular shinobi with us," stated the sand-nin in his usual monotone. "She doesn't have a demon aiding her. She won't be able to keep up."

"You don't know Sakura at all, Gaara." Naruto stared into the trees, his eyes tracking Sakura's movement even though she remained hidden, "The only thing about her that resembles her name is her hair. Anyone who underestimates her is in for a surprise."

Gaara turned to his companion with a hint of a smile, "That's what I like about you, Uzumaki." Gaara hopped from the branch with practiced ease, landing on one just below and settling down for his nap. In his abrupt move, he left behind a very confused Naruto who just stood and stared for the longest time before he too fell asleep.

It was only the barest of movements, but it was enough to spur Naruto to action. Before his eyes even gave any indication of opening, he had a kunai at the throat of whomever it was that had touched him. By now, this reaction was a reflex as much as anything else. Ero-Sennin had beaten several lessons into Naruto's head during their years together. One of them taught at the expense of many hours of valuable rest; never let your enemy catch you asleep.

Finally, Naruto opened his eyes and, still clouded with sleep though they were, he instantly recognized the jade pools that stared back at him. "Sakura-chan?" he asked sleepily.

"Um, Naruto? Could you please take the kunai from my neck?" she asked in a frightened tone. She hadn't even seen him move. One moment, she was touching his shoulder to wake him for his turn at guard duty and the next, she had a knife pressed to her neck.

Naruto replied with his ever intelligent, "Huh?" before he finally took stock of what was going on and hurriedly replaced his kunai in its holster. "S-sorry Sakura-chan! I didn't mean to."

Sakura rubbed her neck where the blade had been a moment ago and breathed in relief, "Sheesh, Naruto. When did you get so paranoid?"

"You try having Ero-Sennin wake you up every morning with one of his new tests." Naruto shivered slightly and scratched his arms, "He even dumped ants on me one time."

She giggled behind her hand at the thought and smiled sleepily at Naruto, "Well, it's your turn. Give up your spot here so I can sleep."

"Oh. Alright." Reluctantly, Naruto complied after a good deal of stretching and yawning and leapt away to branches unknown to begin his watch. By the way he felt, he knew he'd only gotten about 2 hours of sleep but that was enough for him. The chill air of the early morning was enough to wash away any remnants of sleep from his mind, although, he couldn't help but be a little annoyed at being woken up. He'd been having the best dream and of course, he'd been woken up at the best part. In his dream, he and Sakura had been on a date. Better yet, even Sakura had called it a date. The details were hazy but they were obviously having a good time just being with each other. He remembered Sakura laughing happily as they sat in a café, and then he remembered some sort of carnival where he'd won her a giant stuffed toad. Near the end of the dream, they had been sitting in a park at dusk. Neither of them had spoken and he distinctly remembered feeling nervous as he sat next to her. She had turned to him then, looking him in the eyes with the cutest blush on her face and a smile. Slowly, he eyes drifted closed and her lips puckered as she leaned toward him and then…he'd woken up.

"Stupid guard duty."

As his shift for the night drew to a close, Naruto made his way back to the others. He wasn't really tired anymore but at least he would be able to relax some more before they had to take off when the sun rose.

When he arrived back at their little camp – if it could be called that – he wasn't surprised to find Gaara already awake and waiting for his turn. A simple nod between the two was all it took for a changing of the guard and Naruto headed back up to his resting place. The branch didn't even bend under his weight as he stood there, smiling at the girl sitting against the trunk, snoring softly.

He couldn't help himself. He just had to watch her for a few minutes and staring at her as he was, Naruto was reminded just why he'd first begun to like her in the first place. She was simply the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The way she looked while she slept, the way she looked when she laughed, even the way she looked when she was angry attracted him to her. She was his ideal woman.

When she shifted slightly in her sleep, he'd thought for sure she would wake up and let him have it but she didn't wake up. In fact, as he looked at her more closely, he noticed for the first time that she was shivering. Having been awake and moving for so long, he hadn't really noticed how cold it had gotten but now, he could understand why she was shivering. Smiling, he slipped out of his coat and inched closer to Sakura's sleeping form so as not to wake her, "Here you go Sakura-chan. Sweet dreams." Placing the jacket over her, he stood and dropped down to a branch just below hers to settle in for the rest of the night.

Ok. Not thrilled with this chap but it'll do. Filler chaps aren't all that fulfilling obviously. Next chap, I'll introduce the first OC's. I can't decide as to whether or not I want to make these two really, how shall I put this…strange. I like the thought of them being screwed up, but I don't want to lose readers because I choose a quirk for these characters that is a little risqué. I'll have to do some serious thinking on it.


	5. The Mist Village Twins

Chapter 5

Disclaimer in first chapter.

Ok, so after posting that AN I received many nice reviews, all of which asked me to keep going. Yet I was struck with a horrendous case of writer's apathy. So, now here is the new chapter and I hope it was almost worth the wait, thought I doubt it. Reviews inspire me, so be generous with them.

The trees gave way to murky swamplands as the trio passed through the Water Country's outer border. It was certainly a change from the fertile forests of the Fire country. All around was the typical stench of decay that swamps brought with them coupled with the oppressive humidity. They ran through the damp grass through the aid of chakra on their feet. Had they not used their skills, they would have moved at one tenth their current speed; likely stopping to free their feet every ten meters or so. As it was, they were wearing down quickly from the excessive use of chakra.

Finally, after nearly four hours of continuous running, they reached their destination; at least they hoped that's what it was. Before them loomed a great wall of mist, obscuring all that lay beyond. According to their maps, they would soon reach the outer gates of Mist village and their first destination. Standing there, the three paused to catch their breath and to allow the ninja following them to take a good, long look. Being so close to a foreign village, they knew they would be watched eventually. They just hoped they'd sensed their pursuers sooner than later.

When they'd had their chance to breathe, they set off into the mist along the only visible path with Gaara in the lead. Naruto and Sakura trailed behind the young Kazekage and walked calmly next to each other while keeping a keen eye.

"Hey, Naturo?" started Sakura, in a quiet voice, "Doesn't this mist remind you of something?"

Glancing at her, he gave a subtle nod. He'd just been thinking the same thing himself. This wasn't an entirely natural mist. It was held tightly in place with the aid of chakra and extremely similar to Zabuza's technique. Despite his best efforts, Naruto found his mind wandering to that incident on his first real mission. The first time he'd been trapped in Zabuza's mist, he'd been terrified. Now, he was just wary. Years of experience certainly made more of a difference than he realized.

Gaara, whom had taken the lead position, paused as a person's faint silhouette appeared in the mist a few meters ahead, approaching the three shinobi at a leisurely pace. This would be a proper greeting most likely. Whoever was coming to greet them was doing so in full view of the visitors and moving slowly as not to appear threatening. It was really a matter of etiquette more than anything else. Villages could go to war over the smallest things, so many of them tended to avoid confrontations with visiting dignitaries. That wasn't the say that they were unprepared, however. Mist shinobi lay in wait all around, ready to attack should these three visitors turn hostile. After all, word of Gaara had spread to every village after the Chuunin exams.

Finally, their escort emerged from the mist and, much to everyone's surprise, greeted them with a warm smile. The man before them was one of those older men who just looked like they should be sitting in an old chair, bouncing a grandchild on each knee. He wore simple clothes and had not a hint of weapons on him if one didn't count the disarming smile. "Greetings, young shinobi. We've been looking forward to your arrival. My son, the Mizukage has sent me to escort you to his office."

Stepping forward, Gaara formally bowed to the old man, "Thank you for your hospitality. Please, lead the way."

Naruto and Sakura bowed as well, though Naruto's eyes were on the young Kazekage. He never would have expected Gaara to be so humble, let alone show such manners. This really wasn't the same boy he'd nearly fought to the death a few years ago.

The old man nodded and turned slowly and raised one hand in a seal, "Kai." After he spoke, the mist began to dissipate to reveal the village before them. While they didn't openly show it, Naruto and Sakura were both in awe at the sight. Giant trees rose from large lakes and ponds on immense roots. What was even more impressive was the fact that the trees each held several full sized buildings. Each building was built into the branches of the trees without disturbing them. In some cases, small huts sat on branches that looked ill-equipped to hold their weight. Everything was interconnected by systems of rope bridges, ladders and the odd staircase built into the tree trunks. Sitting in the middle of it all, was the largest tree any of them had ever seen. It was as if several trees had decided to grow in the same place and fought until they became one, single, hulking monster of a tree. And in that tree, held aloft by its massive branches, sat the palace where they would undoubtedly be meeting the Mizukage.

Leading the way, the old man took them straight through the village along a long, swaying, rope bridge that seemed to be the beginning of the path that would lead them anywhere. As they walked, they took in the village around them. Though it looked so different, its spirit reminded Naruto of Konoha. The people were going about their daily business without a care. Children ran through in the trees, most of them playing at being shinobi of course. The ninja all around the village paused for little more than a glance at the newcomers before going about their own business. This was a far warmer reception than Naruto would have expected from a village that could have spawned someone as evil as Zabuza. Their path forked along several more bridges and pathways, some more stable than others. The route they took seemed designed to showcase the village's high points and give any visitor's a fair tour of the large village.

Finally, after numerous twists and turns, the small group arrived at the Mizukage's palace and waited to be greeted at the front gates. From up close, the structure was even more impressive. It was a testament to the village's respect for the land around them. The palace was more a part of the tree than the other way around. Like the other buildings, it was built around the natural growth but, unlike the others, it left room for the great tree to grow through it. In fact, it looked as if several rooms had been sacrificed for the sake of new branches that wound through the large building and even passed through windows. Despite the nature of their mission, Naruto couldn't help but be glad to have this opportunity to be a guest in this city on good terms.

"Wow," breathed the blonde ninja in reverence. Who cared if he was supposed to be on a mission and acting like the ninja he was. He was too impressed to care.

Chuckling, their guide turned with a benevolent smile, "I'm glad to see our village still gets such a response. Now, if you'll kindly wait here, I will return with the Mizukage in just a moment." After their nods, the man entered the great structure and disappeared, leaving them standing alone.

"Hey, Naruto." Spoke Gaara for the first time since the gates, "Don't you think it's strange that they're leaving us here, unguarded and right in front of the Mizukage's residence."

Looking puzzled for a moment, Naruto scratched his chin in thought, "Now that you mention it, yeah. And did you see the looks we got on the way in here? It's like the entire village knew we were coming and didn't seem to care." Turning again, he appraised the village with care but still couldn't find anything wrong, "Maybe they're just that trusting."

"No one is that trusting. Not in the shinobi world," Gaara answered, his eyes also taking in everything and certainly a good deal more than Naruto. "Sakura," he said suddenly, turning to the silent girl, "Tsunade-sama tells me you're rather competent with genjutsu."

Catching on immediately, the young kunoichi closed her eyes and sensed the chakra around them. Her concentration was disrupted, however, by a soft chuckle.

"You caught on much faster than expected for ninja your age." All around them, the air shimmered and the scenery became mist once more. As the mist slowly cleared, the trio found themselves standing before the very same building as before, only this time, they were surrounded by no less than eight ANBU guards. "This little illusion of ours is a way to test the intentions of those we allow inside the gates," explained the masked man closest to them, "It also gives us more than enough time to gather a force against them if we need to."

Gaara nodded as if it didn't disturb or surprise him in the least, "It's a far less invasive means of screening your guests I suppose. Now, are we really here waiting for the Mizukage or is he elsewhere?"

Turning his head, the ANBU nodded in the direction of the door where the old man from before stood. "Greetings," he began with a bow, "I am the Mizukage but you may call me Jiroshi."

As one, the three ninja bowed to their host but only Gaara spoke. "Greetings Jiroshi-dono. We are here to formally introduce ourselves and, with permission, acquire the newest members of our team."

"Yes, of course, Kazekage-dono. They have already been apprised of the situation and were assembled the moment you arrived in our lands."

Behind the man, a small door opened and two boisterous youths came bounding out. One male, the other female and there was no doubt that they were twins. Their looks were similar enough that they could have probably switched places without anyone really noticing. The boy's pale blue hair was cropped short and seemed in general disarray but not quite to the extent of Naruto's untamed look while the girl's hair was in a high ponytail. Their outfits were identical save for the small symbol on the sash that each of them wore. They wore simple, dark blue vests over black, mesh shirts, no doubt leaden with hidden pockets and weapons. Their pants were standard black pants, though they were loose around the legs until they tapered in at the ankle. Wooden sandals adorned their feet and peeking out from behind their backs were two, identical metal staves, each tipped with a small but wicked looking blade.

"Jiroshi-sama!" they chorused, "Are these the people we're going with?" Their voices belied their age, which was a bit older than they looked but the way they spoke in perfect unison was quite disturbing.

"Ame-chan! Kiri-kun! Show better manners in front of your new teammates!" yelled the Mizukage. "If you annoy these people now, they won't want to work with you!" Pulling the two aside, Mizukage began scolding them in whispered tones, ignoring their guests in favor of reprimanding the twins.

The trio watched with confusion and slight amusement at the way they interacted. Both Naruto and Gaara were stunned to see these children welcomed with open arms by the leader of the village. Looking around, Naruto even noticed that the villagers near enough to hear the commotion only looked on the two with a look of passing annoyance. There was no hatred or fear directed at them. They were treated like anyone else would be if they acted that way. It was simply incredible to the other jinchuuriki.

"They act the same way you and Tsunade-sama do, Naruto," commented Sakura, off-handedly.

He had to admit, she was right. Somehow, he and the old bat had managed to form an interesting relationship. She was like a favorite aunt to him now and he knew she thought of him as her own family.

Finally, after long minutes of arguing and whining, the Mizukage turned to his guests and smiled, "Allow me to introduce my grandchildren, Ame, and Kirichi. They, like you are Jinchuuriki and house the two tailed demons, Kawa and Uso." This brought surprised looks from all three of the visiting shinobi.

"The two tailed demon is actually two demons?" asked Sakura. "How is that possible?"

Jiroshi smiled, "It's an old legend of the Mist actually. Centuries ago, long before the hidden villages were even thought of, two mischevious otters roamed the wetlands, causing trouble for travelers and villages alike in the form of floods, ruined crops and whatnot." The old man looked at his grandchildren with a fond smile, "The first Mizukage set out to stop their antics and failed for many years. Finally, he met with one of the otters, Uso, and introduced him to Kawa. As the legend says, the two otters were inseparable ever after and to thank him, they bound themselves to the village as protectors. Each generation, new Jinchuuriki are chosen as the hosts for each of them. This time, it was Kiri and Ame and it seems to have been a good choice. They're just as mischevious as Kawa and Uso ever were."

"Jii-chan!" the twins yelled in unison, pouting up at their grandfather. "Why do you always have to tell it like that? You know we haven't pulled pranks in weeks!"

Both Naruto and Sakura grinned at the story and laughed at the twins' indignation while Garra just looked on with his usual stoic expression. Inside though, he was jealous. These children never would have been feared like he was. They were never alone, left to the care of a man who would one day try to kill them? They even had a loving grandfather. Why had they been so fortunate where he, and even Naruto, were cursed? Naruto of course, took it all in stride. He would never hold a happy childhood against anyone. As always, he would be happy just to know them.

"You're all more than welcome to stay the night of course. I imagine you had a rough time getting here." Naruto was about to jump at the chance of a warm futon and good food when Gaara answered for them, "We appreciate the offer, but the schedule would not allow us a break right now. We'll be leaving as soon as they're ready."

The Mizukage nodded and motioned for the two to come forward, "They are ready now. We will see you to the gates."

I was without a clue as to how to end this so I decided to stop there. Not the worst, not the best. Kinda like me, I suppose. Again, review and if anyone wants to comment on my naming of the characters or help me with some of the finer points of Japanese naming, feel free. I still haven't figured out how to number the demons. I guess it'd be Nibi for the 2 tail but I doubt that's right. Can anyone help with that?


	6. The First Test

The First Test

It wasn't even an hour after they left the village that Sakura began to notice things. They were all quite subtle but, being a ninja, she was well accustomed to noticing subtle things. Even things as subtle as the shadow of the leaves moving against the wind was enough to catch her attention. She had the sneaking suspicion that they weren't quite alone on their trip. Now, if only those weird twins would stop chattering like birds, she might be able to hear something too. Of course, telling those two to be quiet would alert their pursuers that they had been spotted.

Picking up her pace a bit, she fell into step next to Naruto and whispered to him, "Hey, Naruto, have you noticed?" Much to her surprise, Naruto seemed to ignore her completely. He walked along without so much as a glance at her. If it weren't for his usual carefree expression, she would be sure he was ignoring her deliberately. "Naruto?" She was about to wave her hand in front of his face when she noticed that the twins had finally quieted down. Now, they seemed to be talking in hushed tones. Maybe they'd finally caught on too.

The whistle of kunai ripped through the air, shattering the tranquility they'd enjoyed since they left the mist village. Two razor-sharp kunai blurred past Sakura, inches from her face, forcing her to leap back to avoid taking a hit while pulling out her own kunai. Too late, she noticed the true track of the kunai as they seemed to embed themselves in necks of Naruto and Gaara respectively. She didn't even have time to gasp in fear, however, before both of them exploded into a cloud of smoke.

"Kage-bunshin?" she asked in an awed tone. She couldn't figure out when Naruto would have had the chance to make them. She'd hardly taken her eyes off of him in the past hour, let alone heard him yell out his trademark technique. What surprised her even more, though, was that Gaara was just a transformed clone as well. That attack would have had no effect on Gaara no matter what since he had that shield of sand but it seemed like he'd let Naruto take care of it. What were they up to?

Her question wasn't answered instantly but she was given quite a clue when she heard someone crashing into a tree trunk with high velocity just behind her. Shortly afterward, the battle broke out into the open courtesy of Naruto whose clones appeared from everywhere. "Sakura-chan! Behind you!"

Sakura turned just in time to see a skinny, masked man slashing at her with a kunai. Thanks to Naruto's warning, she was able to dodge just in time and then counter with a slash from her own kunai. Her enemy dodged easily, using his pervious momentum to roll away. Once he'd regained his feet, he stared at the girl before him and Sakura just knew he was smirking. Everyone thought she was a pushover at first. Pink hair just isn't that intimidating after all. He would soon learn his error.

Up in the trees, Naruto's battle was well under way. Of the thirty he'd conjured up, only thirteen of his clones remained and he'd only managed to take out three of the seven attackers he'd claimed for himself. There was nothing special about the shinobi attacking them, that was for sure. None of them could have been above chuunin even. Their attacks were organized and well executed but there was nothing special about them. They were all basic techniques that any chuunin would know.

The sound of another clone bursting into smoke at the end of an enemy kunai finally convinced Naruto to get a little serious. He and his clones separated into groups of three, each group taking on one enemy. He and his clones engaged each enemy relentlessly until only the real Naruto remained, standing over the unconscious bodies of their attackers. "Heh. Won't be trying that for a while, will you, guys?"

Not one to be greedy, Gaara had only taken three of his own. That they'd allowed themselves to be spread so thin to gang up on Naruto made him quite annoyed. They underestimated the young Kazekage. A mistake they wouldn't have the chance to make again. There was nothing flashy about his attacks. No one even heard their cries for help. In earlier times, he would have crushed them slowly within his desert coffin. Now, he gave them a mercifully quick death.

The twins had their own attackers to deal with, but they were obviously having a bit more fun than any of the others. They were laughing up a storm as they watched a very confused pair of ninja trying to cover themselves as if they were naked. It was strange to watch someone trapped in a genjutsu that didn't inspire screams of terror or a total mental meltdown of the victim, but these children seemed to prefer a good laugh to a conventional genjutsu.

Sakura was still having a bit of trouble with her attacker. They were quite even in taijutsu, going blow for blow and slash for slash. She had a few cuts to show for her effort, and he had a sizable gash on his arm. After a while, the others came to watch her battle, the twins still chuckling from their joke and Gaara as impassive as ever.

"Should we help her?" asked the Kazekage.

Naruto shook his head and smiled that confident smile of his, "Nah. She's gotten good. Just wait and see."

Gaara looked on unconvinced but heeded Naruto's decision. The girl was undoubtedly faster now, but he'd seen no real improvement in her skill yet.

Sakura was breathing heavily now. She'd been fighting three times as long as any of the others and was completely without a bijuu to restore her stamina like the others. Still, she was confident in her ability and it was time she showed it. Leaping back onto a low branch, she grinned at her attacker and slipped on her black gloves. Out of the corner of her eye, she could just see Naruto's smirk before she attacked.

Any doubts Gaara had were cast aside when he saw the destruction caused by a single punch from the pink-haired kunoichi. Trees and rocks flew into the air, as did Sakura's enemy once her fist impacted the ground. He leapt back, trying to find a safe place to land, only to find himself completely immobile.

Sakura walked up behind the man and whispered into his ear, "Genjutsu binding. My sensei taught me this." Her fingers glowed green with chakra, "And this is something I came up with on my own." She jabbed her fingers into the base of his spine and used the chakra to send a jolt of electricity through his nervous system, completely shutting down his movements.

Naruto turned to Gaara with a smile, "Be glad she's with us." Gaara just nodded. The twins, however, ran up to Sakura with child-like glee.

"Wow! Teach us that genjutsu, please! It was so cool." They spoke quickly and in unison; something that Sakura found very unnerving.

"Uhm. Maybe later," she said as she headed over to Naruto and Gaara. As soon as she was within reach of the smiling blonde, she gave him her own smile before conking him on the head. "You jerk! You could have let me in on the plan!"

"Ahh, Sakura-chan! That hurt!" he said, holding his head to stop any further beatings. When she moved closer, he flinched, thinking she was going to continue his beating but instead felt her lips on his cheek briefly. By the time he opened his eyes, she was already several feet away, healing a small cut on Kiri's shoulder. He touched his cheek where the feeling still lingered and then looked to Gaara, "Did that really just happen?"

Gaara simply smirked and turned away, "We should question our captives."

Still dumbfounded, Naruto continued to stare after Sakura until he heard Gaara entering the brush where some of the enemy still lay. "Oi! Wait up, Gaara! They need to stay alive!" He turned and ran in Gaara's direction, catching up to him where the prisoners lay. All seven of them were still quite unconscious and looked as if they might stay that way a bit longer. As an added precaution, each was cocooned in solidified sand, courtesy of the Kazekage.

"Well, Naruto," asked Gaara, "Care to ask a few questions?"

Looking as intelligent as ever, Naruto scratched his head before crouching down, "Wonder if they know where any good ramen places are around here." Even Gaara's eyes widened at the boy's oblivious nature.

"I suppose I should handle the questioning for now," said Gaara, in his usual detached manner as he crouched next to one of the men. Suddenly, the man jolted awake with a gasp as unseen needles of sand poked him in areas sensitive enough to awaken him.

Direct as always, Gaara let the sandy cocoon contract around the captive, "What's your name?"

The man looked into Gaara's emotionless eyes and immediately began to struggle at the binding sand that held him. Gaara's only response was to hold out his hand and slowly begin to close it, watching his enemy gasping for breath as the sand became tighter and tighter. "Aggghhhh! Ichiro! My name is Ichiro!"

The sand ceased its constriction and Gaara nodded, "Who hired you?"

Relieved of the sand's pressure, Ichiro laid his head back in the dirt and breathed deeply before answering, "I don't know who actually hired us. He used a puppet for all contact."

Naruto, quiet up until then, stepped forward and looked at the man on the ground, "Then why take the job if he wouldn't even show a real person?"

Ichiro sighed and turned his head to look at Naruto, "The money was real, even if he wasn't. The price was too good to pass on. We're just mercenaries after all."

Naruto snorted at this and rolled his eyes, "Greedy old men. Always doing stupid things. Reminds me of Ero-sennin." He looked over at his stoic companion, "So? What should we do with them?"

Gaara didn't even waste a moment considering his answer, "We'll kill them."

"What? No! We can't do that!" yelled Naruto, loud enough to bring Sakura and the twins over, "That's just cold!"

"It's necessary, Naruto," Gaara explained calmly, "If we let them go, they will most likely report back to their employers of our mission and then come back twice as strong."

"I know all that, but…but we still don't have to kill them!"

Gaara turned to Sakura and sighed, "You're the smart one. Talk some sense into him." He was quite surprised when she shook her head.

"No, Gaara. We are not typical ninja. We do not wish to kill if it's possible to avoid it. Neither of us has actually killed before."

Ame and Kiri peeked over Sakura's shoulders and grinned, "They tried to kill us, they get to die. We're with you, Gaara," Ame said in an all too cheerful voice.

Staring at the twins for a moment, Gaara shook his head and then looked at Naruto, "Regardless of your fragile feelings, we must do as the mission dictates. If you do not wish to see this, move along. I will catch up soon enough."

Naruto glared at Gaara and then pointed to the mound of sand on the ground, "We can erase their memories, beat them until they get amnesia…something! I don't want them dead!"

This time, Gaara's icy look was no match for Naruto's determined gaze. Once again, the Kazekage was reminded just who he was dealing with. This was the one that had defeated him so soundly. This young man before him had broken him out of his dark, lonely place in that battle and shown him just how powerful fighting for someone could be. Now, here he was defending the lives of the enemy just as fiercely as he had defended his friends. Only, it didn't make any sense. He knew now that Naruto had a demon within as well. Not only that, he had the greatest of all demons; one known for its vicious nature and desire for conflict. Yet, he kept that power in check even when drawing upon it. To learn that the container of the Kyuubi had never killed before was unbelievable and he wouldn't believe before he'd met Naruto.

"Fine, Naruto. I will give you two hours to come up with an alternative. If you can't, they die." Gaara turned away from the others and leapt into a tree where he rested easily, "Just remember. The mission is the most important thing here, not the lives of a few enemies."

Naruto nodded at Gaara, the determined look still on his face. Finally, he turned to Sakura, "Well, you're the Hokage's apprentice. Do you know any way to erase their memories?"

Sakura shook her head, "No. That's too dangerous to do here and it would take too long. They'd never survive. The neural pathways are-" Sakura's explanation was cut off by giggling from behind her.

"Why don't we just call for the hunter-nin to take them?" asked Kiri, Ame nodding beside him. "It would only take an hour for them to get here," said Ame, "their patrols don't usually come over here till later in the day."

Sakura and Naruto just looked at each other and then at the twins, "That's not a bad idea. How do you call them?"

Ame and Kiri grinned and bit their thumbs, "It's easy!" The pressed their thumbs together and then slammed their hands onto the ground, "Kuchiyose no Justu!" When the small cloud of smoke cleared, two muskrats sat awaiting their summoner's commands. Kiri told his muskrat to go east, while Ame told hers to go west, each of them to return in an hour with a hunter squad.

"All done," yelled the twins, once again in unison and child-like glee.

Naruto laughed and gave them the thumbs up, "Good job guys! I think we're going to like having the two of you around!"

This seemed to increase the size of their grins as the two laughed, "Thanks, Naruto-sempai!"

Once the captives were in custody, the group once again set out on their way. This leg of the trip would be the most dangerous so far. They would be entering territory hostile to both the Leaf and the Mist.


End file.
